Monstrous Love Bites Back - Short Story Anthology

THE MILKMAID

written by AvaLarksen

*****MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY*****

OUR COURTSHIP BEGAN with the inconsiderate splattering of blood upon the throne room floor I'd spent the last hour scrubbing clean of guts and gore.

Rage had burned bright. I'd forgotten who I was and whom I served, erupting with a string of vulgarities at the thoughtless fool... until the severed head of a man bounced, then rolled across the pitted floor right in front of me. I'd looked up and blinked into the face of the Commander. A chilling sensation seeped through my veins dousing my fire.

The entire throne room went silent.

The Commander's immense figure towered above me, his sinister shadow casting me in gloom. The otherworldly beast glared back with irises forged from flame. Nostrils flaring, he tossed the remaining trophies he'd beheaded to impress the Queen at the foot of the throne. Collected in a messy pile were decapitated human heads, their expressions twisted in horror, tongues lolling in ashen mouths, while snapped bone, strings of veins and sinew draped like seaweed across stone.

I'd squeaked my apologies, shot to my feet, and hurried off as fast as I could. But not before snatching one last glance over my shoulder, terrified to find the Commander's narrowed eyes fixed upon my retreating figure.

A day later, I'd been back in the throne room offering a cup of nightly tea to the Queen, when the Commander lumbered inside with a slight limp. I'd inhaled sharply to see that he'd wrapped the severed heads in a thick waxen cape so no blood splattered upon my newly cleaned floor.

My heart!

He'd even wiped his battle axe clean too.

Striding past, he'd given me a quick sidelong glance, whispering in his deep gravelly voice, "Better, little bee?" Whereupon I'd nodded and smiled back gratefully. Perhaps even a little shyly too.

And that's how it went between us.

I hunted for special herbs within the treacherous forest and made a poultice. Leaving it outside his quarters, I'd attached a note explaining how it would help with the ache in his knee.

A day later, I found a beautiful silver hair comb sitting on the cot in my bedroom. And I just knew it was a gift from the Commander. Granted, I suspected it came from one of the mortals he'd killed because of the blood crusting the pearls, but that was easily washed off and it was the sweet thought that counted, right?

While the gifts continued and interested glances were shared, he began to shadow me on my walks in the forest, until with some encouragement and a little bit of flirtatious banter, he joined me under the pretense I needed protection from the savage beasts of the wilds. I didn't bother telling him that he was the savage beast we all feared, since I didn't want to inflate his enormous ego any further. Of late we'd sit on a rocky outcrop in a world caught within perpetual twilight, and share our dreams of what we'd do if we were free of the Queen and the ruling Houses.

Saying I was attracted to the Commander was putting it far too plainly. Though a lesser creature, a blending of man and beast, he was glorious. Every time I caught a glimpse of his magnificent physique or inhaled that fiery masculine scent, heat washed through my body and flushed my cheeks pink while my heart pounded wildly in my chest. I felt as if the very air I breathed was electrified whenever I was in his presence.

At night, lying in my cot and watching the golden light spilling from my candles slink across the ceiling, the mere thought of him caused the lustful ache tormenting my sex to become unbearable. I couldn't help but stroke sensual fingers between my thighs, strumming the agony like lyre strings being plucked until the peak of pleasure drove a stifled cry from my throat.